Claire McDonough, LCSW

Claire McDonough is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who uses practical therapies to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life changes. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as one key approach and pairs that with other methods to match each person's needs. Claire practices from New Jersey and brings 21 years of clinical experience to her work.

She has worked across a range of mental health settings, supporting people with mood differences such as bipolar disorder, attention challenges like ADHD, and struggles with addiction. She also helps with relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, trauma and abuse, and issues related to gender and LGBT identity. Her background includes work with caregiver stress, first responder issues, and family of origin problems.

In sessions she aims to build trust early and make the process straightforward. She listens first and asks questions that help clients set clear goals. She will introduce practical tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to change unhelpful thinking and improve coping skills.

Mindfulness practices and motivational interviewing are also part of her toolkit when they fit a client's needs. Claire balances supportive listening with gentle challenge so people can try new behaviors and notice small changes.

She explains things in plain language and creates step-by-step plans tailored to each person's situation. Over time the work focuses on what matters most to the client, whether that is reducing anxiety, improving communication, or managing mood swings.

How CBT and DBT translate to online therapy

Claire often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and try alternative thinking and behaviors that reduce anxiety or low mood. CBT sessions focus on concrete steps, short exercises, and homework that transfer well to remote formats. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication, which can be practiced between sessions and reviewed over video or messaging.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Claire collaborates with each person to decide which methods to try based on their goals, day-to-day life, and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts techniques so the plan stays useful and realistic.

Online work uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to give flexibility. Video is useful for in-depth work and role plays, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or messaging lets clients send quick updates or try short check-ins during a busy day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family, or caregiving schedules while keeping the focus on practical skill-building.